


Chasing the Wind

by real_ink



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-18 01:50:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17572013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/real_ink/pseuds/real_ink
Summary: At first Shisui had simply been the odd Uchiha: too smiley and untroubled. As seasons changed and fear deepened, pieces of Sakura's life started to fall away. But not him. He remained, standing at the centre of the chaos.





	1. At First Glance

Sakura was twelve when she noticed something of rather great importance.

There was an Uchiha unlike the others.

The first time she saw Uchiha Shisui, she had been on her way to the academy when he had flashed into the left of her vision, crouched on a low brick wall with black wind tousled hair, pale skin and Sharingan eyes that had just swirled to onyx. When his eyes locked with hers, he had smiled something mysterious and winked before disappearing into thin air. _Winked _. Sakura really didn't know what to think.__

____

____

In class, Ino had sat down next to her and kept muttering about how she would go about catching Sasuke's attention until Sakura jabbed her side with an elbow. Ino had huffed and shot her a glare, but it wasn't long until she resumed and Sakura realised that she wouldn't be able to concentrate in today's class either. A good half hour later the classroom door slammed open, stunning its occupants into silence, and Naruto appeared in the doorway gasping for breath.

Iruka narrowed his eyes. "Naruto! This is the third time you're late this week!"

Naruto straightened and smiled sheepishly. "But sensei, I think my alarm clock is broken and I haven't found another one that -"

"Just - just sit down, Naruto." Iruka only sighed when the boy grinned back.

Sakura was a little bemused. So far the day was turning out to be quite typical, and it would have been had she not seen something so strange that morning. She slid her eyes over to Sasuke, scrutinising his features and recalling the red eyes she saw on the face of the older man that day. Both of them were undoubtedly Uchiha, and yet they seemed completely different. A smile on Sasuke's face was a rare sight, and she'd sooner choke on her own hair than stomach the thought of Sasuke winking at anyone.

"Fore _head! _"__

____

____

She snapped her eyes to her right and froze at the familiar sight of Ino's glower and twitching brow that was usually directed at Sasuke's fangirls but never her. It took a few seconds of gaping at the blonde's strange behaviour before she realised the entire row in front of them had heard the sudden outburst, and so had Iruka. She shrunk under their gaze, wishing that her chair would swallow her whole right then and there.

"Ino and Sakura, detention! You two will stay after class, got that?" Iruka snapped.

Her mum was going to kill her.

.

.

Sasuke probably knew that she was glaring at him if the tense line of his shoulders was any indication. Not that she cared. It had taken two days to convince Ino that she wasn't interested in stealing her crush, and she was certain that the blonde had only relented because Sakura had persisted for so long and bribed her with her favourite pudding. When her mum found out that she got into trouble, she had to sit through another lecture about etiquette and the importance of 'setting an example' before she somehow got guilted into taking on more household chores which meant less time to train and improve her skills. And this was all because one day she had taken notice of a peculiar Uchiha - not that she had intended to - and compared him with the only Uchiha in her class, only to be wrongfully accused of chasing after 'Sasuke-kun'.

So to her, it didn't matter if he wasn't the odd Uchiha who had started it all, because Sasuke still had a hand in everything and therefore deserved the hole she was trying to burn through the back of his skull. Naruto wasn't really helping. He had positioned the blackboard duster on top of the door frame and caught her attention so that when she looked away Sasuke's shoulders drooped ever so slightly.

"What are you doing?" she asked, half incredulous and half curious.

Naruto grinned. "Pranking our sensei. It's going to be hilarious, Sakura-chan!"

"You actually think he'll fall for that?" Sasuke said, eyeing the duster doubtfully. "He's meant to be a jounin."

"Well, you never know, do you? I bet it'll get him good."

When Hatake Kakashi finally arrived and did fall for it, there was a moment of silence before Naruto threw his head back and laughed so hard he couldn't breathe. Sakura could still see tears of mirth in his eyes when they settled on the roof for team introductions. At least one of them had managed to find entertainment in the two long hours it took for their instructor to arrive.

"Right, well, this is the part where we share our likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, and so on. Who wants to start?" Kakashi said. When nobody volunteered, he sighed before starting off the introductions, and Sakura was simultaneously frustrated and impressed by his ability to say things that didn't actually have any substance. A glance at her teammates told her that they felt similarly.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto said after a pointed look from Kakashi. "I like ramen, my friends and old man Hokage! I dislike the three minutes it takes for ramen to cook. My hobby is pulling pranks, and my dream is to become the best damn Hokage ever!"

Sakura grimaced and squashed the urge to check that her ears were still in good working order. It wasn't as though she wanted to be rude… although her earlier glaring at Sasuke probably gave that impression anyway. Kakashi gestured for her to go next.

"I'm Haruno Sakura, it's nice to meet you. I like sweets, training and spending time with my friends. I dislike spicy food amongst other things. My hobbies include playing trivia games. And my dream is… to become strong."

"Well that's interesting," Kakashi said. Sakura would have been more inclined to believe him if not for his flat tone of voice. "And now for our final member."

Sasuke straightened in his seated position. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like tomatoes and training. I dislike anything sweet and… fangirls. My hobby is to train, and one day I'll be the strongest in my clan."

"You'll have to beat me first, bastard," Naruto said smugly, crossing his arms, "because I'm definitely stronger than you."

Sasuke scoffed and seemed to be just about to reply to the provocation before Kakashi cut in. "No fighting, children. Save that for tomorrow when I'll be giving you your test to see if you'll become genin."

"'Become genin'?" Sakura echoed incredulously, "We already passed the genin test in the academy!"

"That was only to see if you three had the potential to become genin." Kakashi waggled a finger at them condescendingly and Sakura wanted nothing more than to break it. "The real test is up to me. So tomorrow, you three will come to the Third Training Ground and be tested on whether or not you will become genin, is that understood?" His eye crinkled up into a smile when they nodded. "Good. I expect you to be there at eight sharp in the morning and without eating breakfast-"

Naruto made a sound of protest from his throat and opened his mouth.

"-because you'll only throw up." Naruto snapped his jaw shut and huffed. "Well, good luck tomorrow! You'll need all you can get, considering most graduates fail and are sent back to the academy." Another maddening eye smile before a plume of smoke replaced where Kakashi had been only a second ago.

Naruto made a strangled noise and clutched his hair. "Ack, I can't believe he only told us that at the end! And I'm starving too. Ichiraku, here I come!" He clambered to his feet and disappeared so fast that he could have been the Yellow Flash.

Blinking, Sakura turned to her remaining teammate, ignoring the way he was eyeing her warily. The idea of skipping breakfast disappeared almost immediately after it appeared. Her mother was always harping on about the importance of a healthy and nutritious breakfast whenever she suspected Sakura of skipping, and she just knew that that was one battle she was never going to win. With that in mind, she said, "I don't know about you, but I'm going to eat tomorrow morning."

Sasuke raised a brow, seeming to mull this over, before nodding in agreement.

That night, Sakura lay on her bed and wondered about her uncertain future. Just when she thought she had made a big step forward in her shinobi career, she was faced with an obstacle that threatened to undo the culmination of her years of training. She only hoped that by one miracle or another, Team 7 would pass the test tomorrow.

.

.

Luck had been on their side. Or rather, they'd managed to figure out early on that they needed to work together to maximise the possibility of obtaining those silver bells. While they never quite succeeded in their task, Kakashi had passed them for their teamwork and then vanished after a short speech on the importance of comradeship. They would have been eating those bento boxes that Kakashi had brought had they not been knocked around and ruined by a wayward technique, and so the three of them found themselves on the hunt for some lunch.

"Let's go to Ichiraku to celebrate!" Naruto insisted.

Sasuke faced him with a frown. "I had ramen two days ago, let's get something different."

"There's an udon place not far from here," Sakura suggested. "I've heard it's good. Plus, they have other things on their menu if you're not in the mood for noodles." Sasuke contemplated this for a moment before agreeing, and Naruto had huffed but decided that he was too hungry to argue.

Upon arrival, only a few customers were in the small restaurant due to it being before the lunch rush, and they were able to get seated and order their food quickly.

"So what missions do you think we'll get?" Naruto asked, shifting restlessly in his seat. "Cool ones where we have to save a princess? Or fight scary criminals with huge ass swords? Man, I can't wait!"

"Those sound like A-rank missions, Naruto. Since we're genin, I doubt we'll be doing anything but D-ranks. Maybe C-ranks if we're lucky," Sakura pointed out.

Naruto wilted a little. "No fair! What are D-ranks anyway?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Idiot, weren't you listening in the academy? D-ranks are basically missions where we have to do simple tasks like weeding gardens, babysitting and painting fences. In other words, they're a complete waste of time."

A disgusted expression made its way on to Naruto's face and Sakura shared his sentiment. The only benefit of D-rank missions that she foresaw was teaching them how to be patient, but otherwise she'd much rather take on missions that put more of her training into use. But they didn't get to dwell on their depressing genin days riddled with D-ranks that awaited them for too much longer before their food arrived and they dug in. Slurping up her udon, she wondered if Chouji was right when he said that people got closer when they ate together. There was only one way to find out.

"Sasuke," Sakura said, placing her chopsticks down with feigned casualness, "your brother is a ninja too, right? Did he give you any advice?"

Sasuke raised a brow, and after a few seconds of silence she thought he planned to ignore her, but then he nodded slowly. "He said it would be a good idea to know the difference between weeds and actual plants, and that if we ever look for a cat it's probably wearing a ribbon."

"Huh," Sakura managed weakly. That was certainly… _unhelpful. ___

____

____

Naruto squinted at Sasuke. "Your brother sounds a bit weird. Are you sure he's a ninja? 'Cause, you know, anyone could've - ouch! Sakura-chan!"

"He can be a little…" Sasuke hesitated, "confusing." He muttered something about bad influences that she didn't quite catch before returning to his soup.

Naruto suddenly perked up. "Hey bastard, isn't that him behind you?"

Sasuke choked and spluttered. Hastily, he wiped at his chin before twisting his neck to look over his shoulder, and sure enough, Itachi was making his way towards them. Sakura had seen him pick her teammate up from the academy enough times that she could recognise him from a distance. It would have been fine had he been alone, but accompanying him was a slightly taller man with short black hair and dark eyes whom she couldn't put a name to.

It wasn't until the two men neared their table that she finally recognised the taller man. It was him. The strange Uchiha who winked and smiled at strangers as if it were an everyday occurrence! …And she had been blatantly staring. Mortified, she quickly hunched over her udon and lowered her head.

"Um, Sakura-chan, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," she hissed with some difficulty. The wafting steam was making her face feel uncomfortable.

"But you're… you're hiding! In a _bowl. _Why?" Naruto leaned closer, trying to catch her eye. Sasuke shot them a strange look.__

____

____

She paused. Actually, why was she hiding? It wasn't as though she did anything wrong, and it certainly wasn't her who went around smiling and winking at unsuspecting people on the street. She straightened, cleared her throat and resumed eating next to a baffled Naruto. She only hoped that she wouldn't get dragged into any awkward conversation.

When Itachi and his companion arrived at their table, they were given a quick once-over before Itachi inclined his head in greeting. "You must be Sasuke's genin team. I'm Itachi," he gestured to the man next to him, "and this is Shisui."

"Hello, I'm Sakura. It's nice to meet you," she said, trying not to falter when her eyes locked with Shisui's.

Naruto grinned. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, Sasuke's awesome teammate!"

Sasuke only looked unimpressed. He frowned at his brother and Shisui. "What are you doing here?"

"We thought we'd drop by to congratulate you and your team on passing, little cousin," Shisui said. His answer was innocent enough, but there was something suspiciously light in his tone of voice. Suddenly he reached out and Sasuke wasn't fast enough to dodge the hand that ruffled his hair. "Good job, Sasuke-kun. All that training finally paid off, didn't it?"

Itachi smirked at the sight. Naruto gaped.

Sakura flicked her eyes between the three Uchiha, cataloguing their interactions. This was the first time she had spoken with Itachi and seen him in such close proximity. Despite Sasuke's still-maturing features, there was an obvious resemblance between the brothers in the slope of their noses and the curve of their jawlines. There was also the way that Sasuke seemed to unconsciously relax around his two relatives which spoke with great familiarity, and although he was glaring at Shisui through messy dark strands of hair, there was no real heat to suggest that he actually objected to his cousin's treatment of him. Right then, Sasuke was less guarded than usual, and Sakura found herself liking that side of him more. Maybe one day he'll be like that with the rest of Team 7.

"Our apologies for interrupting your meal. We'll take our leave now," Itachi said, not pausing even as his fingers smoothed down a wayward strand of hair on Sasuke's head. "It was nice to meet you both, Sakura-san, Naruto-san."

Shisui turned to follow Itachi who had begun to walk away, but then paused to look over his shoulder, straight at her. A slow, feline smile curved his lips. "It was nice to meet you properly this time, Sakura-san."

To her horror, Sakura felt heat creep up her face, and Shisui must have noticed because he laughed lightly before turning to leave.

Sasuke and Naruto were staring at her.

"You're blushing," Sasuke observed, sounding bewildered. Little did he know that she was feeling the same way. He opened his mouth and paused, before promptly shutting it, seeming to decide it was better to not ask her anything.

"Well," Naruto said after a long second of silence, "that was, uh… interesting."

A memory suddenly jumped out at Sakura and a devious smile stretched across her face before she even registered it. "Yes, Sasuke-kun, your family is certainly very interesting." She was sorely tempted to let him know just how _interesting _she thought his family was by asking, 'Hey Sasuke, is it only your cousin who smiles and winks at strangers?' or 'Hey Sasuke, isn't your cousin a little too… _strange _to be an Uchiha?' but she doubted that would go down very well. They had only just become Team 7. She would rather they not become Team 7 For Just One Day.____

_____ _

_____ _

"Oh Sasuke-kun, your hair is still a little messy. Here, let me fix it for you my princess," Naruto sniggered. He reached across the table with wriggling fingers, but Sasuke slapped his hand away before it could touch him.

Sakura took in the smug expression Sasuke wore and the way Naruto was cradling his hand while glaring at Sasuke, and thought that she definitely could have gotten worse teammates. Sure, she had initially been a bit uncertain of them and their first day as a team had been spent with some rather questionable company, but if this was a glimpse of what being a part of Team 7 was like… maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited on 29-01-19 to fix some issues regarding the formatting of text.


	2. The Powerful Yet Powerless

The days crawled by. Filled with D-rank missions after more D-rank missions until Sakura couldn't be bothered keeping track anymore, it was no wonder the frustration of Team 7 was mounting. She was just surprised that none of them had snapped yet.

"Gah! I swear if I have to pull out one more stupid turnip, I'll _burn this stupid farm down!" _Naruto yelled.__

__Sakura looked up and squinted at the overhead sun, wiping the sweat off her brow. Her blond teammate was furiously waving a turnip by its green, leafy stalks as he continued to rant about how Hideo-san's farm was 'ridiculously, stupidly big'. She agreed wholeheartedly. They had been harvesting vegetables for hours on a sweltering hot day, and even though it was nearing three o'clock, the sun was as unrelenting as it had been at twelve. Even Sasuke and his usual suck-it-up mindset had been seething only an hour into the mission._ _

__Naruto suddenly halted mid-rant and took a closer look at the turnip in his hand. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, this one kind of looks like you!"_ _

__"Maa, that's a bit mean don't you think?" Kakashi shut his book and pocketed it with a sigh. "We're pretty much done here anyway. Let's tell Hideo-san and then we can go back to the Hokage and see what else he has for us."_ _

__Sakura groaned at the idea of another mission. Her hands and wrists felt sore from all the twisting and pulling she had done. However, she had a feeling that trying to escape would only result in being tracked down by an unimpressed Kakashi and lumped with even more of these horrible missions. With that in mind, she reluctantly followed the rest of Team 7 as they bid farewell to their client before heading towards the tower at the centre of the village._ _

__It really was a waste to be doing anything other than enjoying Konoha on a day like this. Civilians and off-duty shinobi were wearing light, floating fabrics that lifted with the passing breeze, and the air was mingled with the faint fragrance of herbs and spices. Below her, the children weaving around the afternoon crowds and the endless stalls of colour and trinkets held more appeal than the sweat-slicked clothes plastered to her body and the wind pulling through her hair as she pushed from rooftop to rooftop._ _

__When her team entered the mission assignment room, another genin team looking equally haggard and slumped was on their way out._ _

__"Done already, Team 7? Well, let's see what else there is for you…" The Hokage rummaged through a stack of paper on his desk before pulling out a few sheets. "We have dog walking, babysitting, or - ah, looks like Tora has escaped-"_ _

__"We are _not_ finding that dumb cat again!" Naruto protested, folding his arms. Sasuke nodded in agreement.__

____"Naruto! Don't speak to Hokage-sama like that," Iruka admonished. The corner of his lips that twitched upwards betrayed his anger._ _ _ _

____Kakashi seemed to be content to have his nose stuck in his book and let them argue around the issue, but Sakura was certain she was going to do something terrible like throttle their client if she had to take on another mind numbing D-rank mission. When Naruto took a step forward and opened his mouth to launch into a speech that would undoubtedly make Iruka's face turn bright red, she grabbed his collar and dragged him back._ _ _ _

____"Hokage-sama," she said, "with all due respect, but we've done nothing except D-rank missions for over a month. If it's not too much to ask, we would like a C-rank mission for a change."_ _ _ _

____Iruka looked at her in surprise and seemed about to reprimand her when the Hokage held up a hand, amusement etched across his wrinkled features. "If it's variety you're after, D-ranks aren't so bad in that regard. What could you hope to gain from a C-rank?"_ _ _ _

____"A challenge," Sasuke said firmly. "We can't improve much if we're stuck doing things that don't push us, and it's in everyone's best interests if that isn't the case."_ _ _ _

____Surprise flashed through the Hokage's face. He eyed them contemplatively, taking in their determined expressions, before a smile broke through his serious demeanor. "Very well. I have an escort mission available for you to do, unless… your sensei has any objections?"_ _ _ _

____Kakashi blinked when all eyes were suddenly on him, and smiled disarmingly. "None from me."_ _ _ _

____Feeling satisfied with having secured a C-rank despite being dubious of Team 7's slurring and swaying drunkard of a client, Sakura arrived home with a lightness to her steps. She washed the sweat and dirt off her body, relishing in the way her muscles relaxed under the spray of hot water, before going to her room to pack for the road tomorrow. Somewhere between a faded green canteen, pouches of kunai and shuriken and rolls of bandages, her mother arrived home._ _ _ _

____"Sakura?"_ _ _ _

____"In my room!" she called back, tossing the few basic medical supplies she had into her bag._ _ _ _

____"Have you seen the sweets that Kanna-san's little girl made for us? I tried some for lunch and-"_ _ _ _

____Sakura turned to see her mother standing in the doorway, green eyes moving between the objects on her bed and lingering on the rolled up sleeping bag. Something heavy settled at the bottom of her stomach when she recognised the sudden stillness in her mother's posture for what it was._ _ _ _

____"Where are you going?" Mebuki looked at her with the usual pleasant expression, but the slightly stilted voice told her more than enough._ _ _ _

____"I have a C-rank mission tomorrow with my team," Sakura explained, smiling unconvincingly. She always hated these conversations. "We're leaving in the morning."_ _ _ _

____Mebuki frowned. "I thought your team only did D-rank missions."_ _ _ _

____"Hokage-sama thought we were ready. It's just - we're not even going to be out of Konoha for that long, and we've got Kakashi-sensei as well."_ _ _ _

____"But you should still be careful, Sakura. You'll always find yourself in danger, and something bad could happen before you even know it. If… if you ever decide that being a shinobi is not for you, then-"_ _ _ _

____"Kaa-san," Sakura interrupted, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply before continuing. "I knew the possibilities the day I signed up for the academy, and I'm not just going to quit now. I won't stop being a shinobi. I'm not you, or tou-san, or Daichi-san down our street." She pushed away the guilt that instantly began to surface. It was a low blow to bring her mother and father into the argument, but she was sick of her mother's attempts to baby her whenever she caught a whiff of danger. In a softer voice she added, "I'm going at nine o'clock tomorrow. Don't worry about the laundry, I'll do it before I leave."_ _ _ _

____A strange expression crossed Mebuki's face as she stared at Sakura for a few silent seconds before it gave way to something more gentle. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm being silly again. I know you've wanted this for the longest time. Just - you'll be home in time for us to visit tou-san together, won't you?"_ _ _ _

____Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and gave a curt nod. Turning her attention back to her half-packed bag, she resumed throwing in the necessary mission supplies with more force than necessary. She didn't bother listening for the sound of feet padding away. Even now, her mother moved with the same silent footsteps from her shinobi days._ _ _ _

____._ _ _ _

____._ _ _ _

____Flickering flames crackled in the quiet of the night. The once large, sparking campfire had dwindled until it was a small bright presence. More than an hour had passed since her teammates had retreated into their tents, but Sakura remained in front of the fire, palms pressed against its heat. She pulled her blanket tighter around her._ _ _ _

____They were in Fire Country again, with less than a day's worth of travel until they reached the gates of Konoha. It was good news. She would be able to cleanse and sleep properly, and be close to her family and friends again. But her relief was dampened by the unexpected trajectory that Team 7's mission had taken; what had supposedly been a C-rank had quickly spun out of control and become an A-rank mission with the appearances of four unexpected adversaries._ _ _ _

____When the Demon Brothers emerged out of thin air, she knew that something crucial about this mission had been left out. Kakashi had pinned their client with a dark, angry stare until Tazuna threw himself into a feverish explanation of why he had lied about the details of the mission. As soon as they realised the gravity of their situation, a vote had been in order - one that was met with the unanimous agreement to continue forward. Sakura wasn't sure if her decision made her stupid or brave, but when Momochi Zabuza came along, all she could think about was how ironic life could be. It was only yesterday that she assured her mother she would encounter little danger while on her mission, but there she stood, only a few metres away from a dangerous missing-nin with murderous intent._ _ _ _

____Wave Country was a beautiful land of wide rivers and plenteous mangroves, but its people were downtrodden and defeated. Despite the discouragement that came in the forms of Inari's protests, failing local businesses and a decreasing number of bridge builders, Team 7 trained and trained until they returned to Tazuna's residence each night (sometimes morning) with scrapes, bruises and higher spirits._ _ _ _

____Unfortunately that did not mean that Sakura was ready to face Zabuza and Haku when the time came. The duo appeared amidst rolling mist, and although Haku's porcelain mask hid his identity and emotions, she had plainly seen the animosity in Zabuza's hard eyes. They attacked, fierce and unrelenting, and Kakashi and Sasuke quickly dove in. Sakura resigned herself to protecting Tazuna and watching the battles from afar. When Naruto arrived and catapulted himself inside Haku's ice mirrors before she could stop him, things only seemed to go downhill._ _ _ _

____She remembered the flood of red chakra that swept across them, its hatred and maliciousness so thick that it almost tangible. Tazuna had collapsed on to his knees, wheezing for breath, and she had almost keeled over herself before she gave a firm self-reminder that her job was to protect rather than pass out. But she and the rest of Team 7 weren't the only ones who had protected that day._ _ _ _

____It happened in slow motion. Kakashi's screeching chidori lit up in his palm as he advanced towards Zabuza. The distance he covered within only seconds was something she could only dream to achieve, and she held her breath when he inched closer and closer to the missing-nin - to completing their mission. She did not expect Haku to materialise in front of Zabuza a split second before the attack would have made contact with the man. But he had. Kakashi tried to pull back at the very last moment, but he was too late; the lightning seared into Haku's chest before fizzling away alongside the light in the boy's eyes._ _ _ _

____For a while she had just stared, unable to look away. A chill had gone up her spine, its icy fingers probing and wandering. It moved higher and higher before settling over her chest where a terrible, numbing feeling grew._ _ _ _

____"Aren't you going to sleep?"_ _ _ _

____Sakura jerked in surprise and snapped her eyes to Kakashi's expectant ones. "You scared me," she gasped, slapping a hand over her chest. Her sensei was unrepentant, only sitting down with his eye fixed on the dancing flames._ _ _ _

____"So why are you still awake, Sakura?" he asked._ _ _ _

____"I won't be able to sleep," she admitted. When he only gave a soft hum in response and made no move to leave, she gathered up her courage and asked, "Sensei, were Zabuza-san and Haku-san bad people?"_ _ _ _

____Kakashi turned his dark grey eye to her. "That depends on what you mean by 'bad people'. If, say, your definition refers to people with conflicting interests, then they certainly were bad people."_ _ _ _

____She huffed at his vague response. "But Haku-san jumped in front of Zabuza-san to protect him, and then Zabuza-san said that he cared for Haku-san and wanted to be buried next to him." Her face twisted in confusion. "If they were bad people, then shouldn't they have not cared about each other? The academy always told us to put our teammates before ourselves, and even you said that people who abandon their comrades are scum."_ _ _ _

____"I guess that makes them alright people then," Kakashi said after a pause. When she only continued to stare glumly into the fire, he sighed. "Sakura, what I'm trying to get at is that the world is not so black and white. The people we come across during these kinds of missions can be allies or enemies depending on a wide range of circumstances - ones that we have little control over. For example, if Zabuza and Haku had the same goal as we did and were our allies, would you say they were bad people?"_ _ _ _

____Sakura blinked at the unexpected question. It was more than a little difficult to imagine the duo wanting the bridge to be built for whatever reason, but if she had no reason to be concerned about them wanting to slice her into pieces at every turn, and if she took their last moments into consideration…_ _ _ _

____"No, I wouldn't," she said. "I mean, anyone could tell that they cared about each other."_ _ _ _

____"That's true. But they just so happened to be the enemy in our mission." Kakashi looked at her expectantly._ _ _ _

____She frowned. "That… doesn't really change anything." It was such a simple line of logic, but she was still surprised at how obvious the answer suddenly seemed._ _ _ _

____"Exactly. Allies and enemies are just labels that we use because of their convenience. They simplify and make it easier for us to decide how to interact with others. But they also make it easier to forget that our so-called enemies share things in common with our allies. Things such as compassion, love, loyalty and sadness - to name a few. So you see, an enemy isn't any less human than an ally, although that rarely matters in the grand scheme of things."_ _ _ _

____Sakura felt flabbergasted and somewhat betrayed. "Why didn't they teach us this in the academy?"_ _ _ _

____"There are some things that you can't understand until you've experienced or seen it. Besides, the academy was only ever meant to provide shinobi with their foundations and basic knowledge, so it tends to skim right over these sorts of areas that could be seen as relatively unimportant or too ambiguous."_ _ _ _

____She considered that for a moment. The academy had only ever emphasised the positives of shinobi life. They fed tiny future shinobi children great stories about past and present heroes of the village and the noble ways they upheld the will of fire. They helped students grow by analysing and critiquing their skills until they were deemed fit as potential candidates for the shinobi lifestyle._ _ _ _

____"They treated us like tools," she whispered in realisation, eyes widening._ _ _ _

____"We are definitely tools of the village in some ways," Kakashi said, sounding amused for a reason that eluded her, "but the moment you became a genin, a contract was made between you and the village. By accepting you as a shinobi, Konoha also accepts all the things that make you your own person. And of course on your side, you expect the village to accept both sides of you in exchange for your work. That is the agreement between a village and its shinobi. Do you understand?"_ _ _ _

____Sakura nodded slowly, mind still whirring with information. "That makes sense. But what about… well, if there was a situation where you had to choose between completing a mission or keeping your team safe…" She hesitated for a second, unsure what to make of her sensei's sudden stillness, but ploughed on. "And you chose to keep your team safe, what would happen?"_ _ _ _

____The wind groaned and whipped her hair across her face. She ducked her head, burrowing deeper into the warmth of her blanket._ _ _ _

____Kakashi was eyeing her thoughtfully. "I can't really answer that, Sakura. There would be too many factors in play to determine how a failed mission would be dealt with. But if you chose to prioritise the safety of your team ahead of your mission, I won't say you did wrong. No mission is worth a teammate's life."_ _ _ _

____She smiled up at him, feeling a rush of warmth at his words and an invisible weight being lifted off her chest. "Sensei?"_ _ _ _

____"Hm?"_ _ _ _

____"Thank you."_ _ _ _

____Kakashi's eye crinkled shut in a smile. "You should get some sleep. We'll be leaving at dawn." He ruffled her already messy hair before silently making his way back to his tent._ _ _ _

____Being a shinobi was… more complicated than she thought it would be. With a sigh, she reached out and smothered the tiny flickering flame until only darkness remained._ _ _ _

____She barely slept that night._ _ _ _

____._ _ _ _

____._ _ _ _

____"Are you ready, Sakura? It's time to go!"_ _ _ _

____"I'm coming!" Sakura smoothed the creases out of her black pants before heading to the front door where her mother was waiting for her, also dressed in black._ _ _ _

____Her team had made it back to Konoha only a day before she was due to visit her father with her mother. Mebuki had fussed around but in the end decided that she was just relieved Sakura had returned home safe and in time to uphold her promise. When asked about her mission, Sakura remained vague with the details, only commenting on the fact that it had been 'very interesting' and resulted in an 'unique and formidable sounding bridge' somewhere in Wave. Mebuki had looked confused but Sakura left it at that. If the Hokage had looked close to gaping in an undignified manner during their mission report, she didn't want to know how her mother would react._ _ _ _

____Their walk to Yamanaka Flowers was quiet and uneventful. Only a handful of people were outside in the drizzling rain during that cold, drab evening, and she was certain they were all on their way home. Inoichi greeted them at the front counter of his shop and handed over a pre-wrapped bouquet of white, pink and red carnations with a sombre look on his face. He always had their flowers ready every year and refused to accept payment._ _ _ _

____The memorial stone was a dark, kunai-shaped structure with hundreds of names carved into its rough surface. On a typical sunny day it was already a foreboding presence and a reminder of the harsh reality of a hidden village, but it appeared even more so under the grey skies and the tall, swaying silhouettes of trees in the distance._ _ _ _

____Sakura watched her mother place the bouquet at the base of the stone and bow her head. Her eyes wandered down the lists of names, most of which she had never heard of and some of which had been the protagonists in hero war stories. She continued trailing down until she reached a name that was printed humbly, no smaller or larger in size than its neighbours: _Haruno Kizashi. _____ _ _

______From her hazy childhood memories that blurred into a continuous stream of shapes and colours, her father was a well-liked, fun spirited man with pink hair and blue eyes. He fitted perfectly into their lives; she and her mother loved him and he loved them in turn. She didn't recall much else about him, other than that he had been a jounin, was regularly out of the village on missions, and one day left home only to never come back when she was six years old. And then it had been just her and her mother._ _ _ _ _ _

______They dealt with their grief in different ways. She became determined to somehow fill in the void following her father's death, whereas her mother wanted to shield her from danger by attempting to persuade her away from shinobi life. Her chosen profession was still something they disagreed on six years later, and it made her want to tear her hair out. Her mother had once been a shinobi herself, so why couldn't she understand Sakura's decision?_ _ _ _ _ _

______Sakura looked up at Mebuki's face, noting the far-away eyes and down-turned lips, and knew that her mother would not return until much later on._ _ _ _ _ _

______When they arrived back home, Mebuki wordlessly sunk down on to the leather couch with an unreadable expression and Sakura retreated inside her room. Late into the night, when she was swallowed by bed covers and her mother thought she was asleep, the faint sound of sobbing made its way to her ears. She frowned up at the darkness of the ceiling and twisted her fingers into the softness of her quilt._ _ _ _ _ _

______She could train and train, but what good was it if she couldn't protect her mother from invisible enemies?_ _ _ _ _ _


	3. Playing Favourites

Sakura blocked the incoming kick with her arms, the force of impact sending her skidding backwards. Opposite her, Sasuke jumped back and fell into a defensive stance. She narrowed her eyes at the invitation before pushing chakra to her feet and launching forward.

"Come on, Sakura-chan! Put his face in the dirt!" Naruto yelled from the sidelines, body tense in excitement as his eyes followed his teammates' quick movements. Kakashi sat cross-legged on a tree branch, eye glancing away from his Icha Icha novel once in a while to analyse the spar below.

Swiftly moving back to avoid the flurry of punches and kicks that Sasuke advanced with, Sakura left an opening that was unprotected for a second too long. A well-placed kick to her side had her wincing and resigned to the bruise that would undoubtedly appear on her skin.

"I can't believe you returned with zero dango sticks when we paid for six!" Sakura complained, still huffy at having missed out on the much anticipated afternoon treat.

"The one with sesame was my favourite too," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke glared right back at his pink-haired teammate. "I _told _you that I got ambushed by aniki and he stole them!" he hissed.__

__"You should've protected them— "_ _

__"Have _you _tried getting in between Itachi and dango?"___ _

____" —or stolen them back!"_ _ _ _

____Sasuke scoffed and folded his arms. "I'm not suicidal."_ _ _ _

____Naruto jumped to his feet and pointed angrily at him. "Ha! By the time I'm done with you, you bet your ass—"_ _ _ _

____It was at that point that Kakashi snapped his book shut, pocketed it, and interjected. "Alright team, great job today. Sakura, work on your speed and the earth technique I gave you. Sasuke, how far along are you with the advanced chakra control exercises? Be sure to get them down before our next meeting. And Naruto…"_ _ _ _

____The blond blinked before realisation hit him. "Hey! I didn't get to spar today, Kakashi-sensei."_ _ _ _

____Kakashi hummed before allowing his eye to crinkle shut into a smile. "How about next time I teach you a new technique and introduce you all to my ninken. How's that sound?"_ _ _ _

____"That's a promise, right? You can't break it," Naruto warned. His only reply was a cheery wave before the man poofed away in a cloud of smoke. Blinking at the sudden quietness, he turned around to see his teammates sizing each other up. "So."_ _ _ _

____Sasuke sighed and dropped the stare off. "So," he repeated._ _ _ _

____Naruto flicked his eyes between onyx and bright green for a minute before breaking into a grin. "Who's up for some ramen tonight?"_ _ _ _

____"Actually," Sasuke said, piquing the interest of his teammates, "kaa-san is inviting you both over for dinner."_ _ _ _

____Sakura perked up. "She makes great rice balls."_ _ _ _

____Sasuke grunted in agreement. "Kakashi was meant to come as well."_ _ _ _

____"Don't worry about him," Naruto said, flapping a hand dismissively, "he's probably gone to rescue some more cats out of trees."_ _ _ _

____"I doubt kaa-san will be impressed. She's been going on about wanting to meet the entire team," Sasuke sighed. "Anyway, make sure to come by in half an hour."_ _ _ _

____Naruto squawked. "Half an hour? That's not enough time!" He muttered something about needing to water Mr. Ukki and his dear friends._ _ _ _

____"Should we bring something?" Sakura asked, worrying at her lip._ _ _ _

____"No, it won't be necessary. Listen, go home, shower, and come over in thirty minutes. Tou-san and Itachi will be eating with us."_ _ _ _

____"Great! I'm going to teach that little dango thief a lesson," Naruto growled, clenching his hands into fists._ _ _ _

____Sasuke looked slightly pained._ _ _ _

____._ _ _ _

____._ _ _ _

____Sakura smoothed down her yukata for what had to be the twentieth time already, each step forward accompanied by rising trepidation. It would be the first time that she set foot inside the Uchiha Compound, and the first time meeting the entirety of Sasuke's immediate family._ _ _ _

____From what she had learnt in the academy, the Uchiha were one of Konoha's founding clans and the primary manpower of the Konoha Military Police Force — and remained so today. Their large compound was located at the west end of the village, shadowed by the outskirts of the forest. A bend of the Naka River ran nearby._ _ _ _

____She had only spoken with Sasuke's mother twice, and even then those encounters had occurred in settings that were inappropriate for anything other than passing polite conversation. For all the whispers that painted the woman as cold and distant, there was an inviting warmth in her tone and smile creases._ _ _ _

____Itachi, however, remained a mystery. Her one and only conversation — if one could even call it that — with him had been of introductions at a restaurant with Sasuke, Naruto and Shisui also present. She really didn't have enough to go by._ _ _ _

____Admittedly, the person she was the most nervous to meet tonight was Sasuke's father. She had never seen him in person, which made sense because Sasuke's complaints indicated that the man was always either locked away in a meeting or overseeing projects conducted by the Konoha Military Police Force. Such sole focus and dedication towards work conjured a mental image of a serious face with critical eyes and a mouth that pulled downwards._ _ _ _

____Sakura's lips pressed into a grim line. Things weren't looking good. Perhaps she should have brought along a nice plant. Or maybe some artisan sweets. Then again, maybe they would have thought she was trying to bribe them into liking her, and that wouldn't do at all. Appeased by this train of thought, she was noticeably more relaxed when she arrived at the entrance of the compound._ _ _ _

____Naruto and Sasuke were already there, both dressed in yukata and trading insults halfheartedly as they waited for her._ _ _ _

____"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted her with a wide smile when she came to a stop in front of them._ _ _ _

____Sasuke straightened from his previous position against the wall and beckoned them to follow him. "Come on, tou-san should be home soon," his said, voice hinting at his tension._ _ _ _

____As soon as his back was turned, Sakura shot Naruto a questioning look, to which the blond shrugged in response. She sighed but brushed it off, figuring they would look into it later on if whatever it was continued to bug her teammate._ _ _ _

____True to the Uchiha name, red and white fans decorated the sides of buildings and the casual clothing of civilian and shinobi clan members. Soft chatter and the faint clanging of steel drifted to her ears. She smelled sweetness in the air that reminded her of freshly baked pastries, and more than once had to sidestep children as they darted around carelessly._ _ _ _

____She wasn't so sure she had seen any Uchiha so carefree beyond the compound barrier._ _ _ _

____Sakura smiled politely as she passed a woman whose eyes she met. It was no surprise that she and Naruto attracted a fair amount of glances. Having brightly coloured hair tended to make individuals more conspicuous, especially when in a sea of dark colours._ _ _ _

____They stopped in front of a large house, where Uchiha Mikoto waited for them on the porch._ _ _ _

____"Kaa-san," Sasuke said, "these are my teammates, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto."_ _ _ _

____Sakura bowed and offered a smile to the woman. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mikoto-san."_ _ _ _

____"Nice to meet you, Sasuke's kaa-chan!" Naruto greeted exuberantly. Sasuke twitched._ _ _ _

____Mikoto laughed, soft and bell-like even in her surprise. "Believe me, the pleasure is mine. I'm sure Sasuke has told you how much I've nagged him about wanting to meet the both of you, so thank you for coming over."_ _ _ _

____Despite the open posture and disarming lightness in her voice, the woman's eyes were sharp as they took in her son's companions. The slight linger on Naruto's eyes accompanied by a flash of something indiscernible across her face was interrupted by a smile curving her lips._ _ _ _

____"Please, come in. Dinner is ready and I'm sure Itachi will be pleased to see you all again."_ _ _ _

____As they followed Mikoto inside, Naruto leant over and whispered, "No wonder Sasuke is such a pretty boy."_ _ _ _

____To Sakura's surprise, the spacious and tidy interior was devoid of opulence and cold sterility. Instead, family portraits and scattered greenery created a comfortable and intimate atmosphere that slowly unwound any remaining tension from her shoulders._ _ _ _

____Her eyes locked on to Itachi's tall figure as soon as they passed into the dining room, watching as his long, graceful limbs placed steaming cups of tea on the wooden table. He looked up at their arrival._ _ _ _

____"Naruto-san, Sakura-san," he greeted, lips pulling up into a faint smile, "it's nice to see you again."_ _ _ _

____An older man stepped into the room, his eyes taking them in carefully despite the fatigue that clung to his stern features. Sasuke immediately straightened._ _ _ _

____"Tou-san, these are my teammates, Sakura and Naruto."_ _ _ _

____Sakura dipped into another bow, pondering on the different manner in which Sasuke stood and spoke in the company of his father._ _ _ _

____"I'm glad to finally meet my son's team. He's spoken much about you," the man said, "let's sit and speak comfortably."_ _ _ _

____"Thank you, Uchiha-sama," she said as they knelt on the cushions in front of the low dining table._ _ _ _

____"Fugaku is fine," he said. "I've heard that you've recently returned from an A-rank mission. Unfortunately, I've been kept busy these past few days and haven't had the chance to ask Sasuke about it. Regardless, I'm surprised the Hokage approved this."_ _ _ _

____"It wasn't an A-rank mission at first," Naruto said almost sheepishly. At Fugaku's raised brow he elaborated, "The client actually disguised it as a C-rank because he couldn't afford to pay more."_ _ _ _

____"I see. And did you run into much trouble?"_ _ _ _

____"Well, someone called Momochi Zabuza was after the person we were supposed to protect. But it turns out he wasn't really the bad guy after all…" Naruto's eyes had slowly lowered until he was staring unseeingly at the wood grain table. Mikoto looked like she had a question on the tip of her tongue, but seemed unwilling to steal him from his memories._ _ _ _

____Fugaku stilled. "A fight against one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen… and yet you all came back in one piece."_ _ _ _

____"Barely," Sasuke admitted. "He was accompanied by another ninja who was working with him."_ _ _ _

____"Momochi wouldn't team up with someone who couldn't pull their own weight. I imagine it was a struggle for you all, even if Hatake is a highly competent individual."_ _ _ _

____Sakura blinked at the blatant praise the man gave Kakashi. While it was true that her instructor's reputation tended to attract a degree of respect and hero worship, hearing the Uchiha clan head plainly state his approval was still a surprise. After all, Kakashi had to be the only possessor of the Sharingan who was not an Uchiha._ _ _ _

____"I…" Sasuke hesitated. His eyes flicked to Itachi, searching for something, before he steeled himself. "During the mission I was able to use my Sharingan for the first time."_ _ _ _

____Surprise coloured Fugaku's features before it was washed away by a small smile and approving eyes. "That's very good news. Itachi, did you know about this?"_ _ _ _

____Itachi, who had been quietly listening and observing until now, nodded. "Sasuke and I have been training together to improve his control over it. He's progressing at a steady pace."_ _ _ _

____"Good. Sasuke, you'll do well to listen to Itachi. He'd already had his Sharingan for a couple years by your age."_ _ _ _

____The slight deflating of Sasuke's shoulders made Sakura frown. Mikoto seemed to notice too if her clipped tone of voice was anything to go by._ _ _ _

____"I'm sure Sasuke is doing his best. As long as he knows where he wants to be and how to get there, that's all I can ask for. Don't you agree, Fugaku?"_ _ _ _

____"Of course."_ _ _ _

____Sakura realised that this complicated relationship between father and son was probably a significant factor that motivated Sasuke to improve. It was also probably the cause of much of his self-doubt that he thought was carefully hidden away from his teammates._ _ _ _

____Mikoto hummed thoughtfully as she watched Naruto take careful bites of various dishes. "I do hope you're enjoying the food. I wasn't sure what you both liked aside from what I was able to learn from Sasuke."_ _ _ _

____"It's delicious, Mikoto-san," Sakura hurriedly assured her, "thank you again for inviting us over."_ _ _ _

____"Speaking of delicious food," Itachi said, "I had some delightful dango today. The sesame was particularly nice."_ _ _ _

____Naruto choked on a mouthful of rice. Sakura wordlessly slid him a napkin while turning a strained smile to Itachi._ _ _ _

____"Six sticks, wasn't it?"_ _ _ _

____" _Six? _" Mikoto echoed in surprise. She looked at her son dubiously. "I didn't know you had such a big appetite."___ _ _ _

______Humour flared in Itachi's eyes. "Of course I couldn't finish them. But I didn't want to waste Naruto-san and Sakura-san's kind gift, so I shared with Shisui."_ _ _ _ _ _

______A strangled noise erupted from Naruto's throat as he made to lunge across the table. Fortunately, Sasuke was quick enough to grab hold of the blond before he got too far._ _ _ _ _ _

______._ _ _ _ _ _

______._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Thank you for the wonderful evening, Sasuke-san," Sakura teased._ _ _ _ _ _

______"You're welcome. Please don't ever come again."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Naruto guffawed. "Such a rude host."_ _ _ _ _ _

______They stood at the entrance of the Uchiha compound, watching the trails of gold in the horizon fade away. A cool breeze swirled around them, scattering leaves that chattered in the quiet of the evening._ _ _ _ _ _

______"You know," Sakura said, glancing at Sasuke from the corner of her eye, "your kaa-san is right."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Sasuke frowned. "About what?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Going at your own pace. There's no need to keep comparing yourself to your brother every step of the way."_ _ _ _ _ _

______A stilted silence blanketed them, and for a moment she thought he wouldn't respond. Then, quietly, he spoke._ _ _ _ _ _

______"That's not what tou-san thinks. I need to spend more time training to get stronger like Itachi. Did you know that when he was my age he was already taking ANBU missions—"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Shut _up _," Naruto growled. He ignored the way Sasuke froze and looked at him wide eyed. "God you're sounding just like him. It's fine if you want to get stronger, but you can do that without trying to be Itachi. You're Sasuke. You're one of us. We'll get stronger together and find another way to make your tou-san acknowledge you. Besides, I refuse to be rivals with a guy who's just an imitation of someone else, you hear me?"___ _ _ _ _ _

________Sasuke blinked once, then twice. A small but genuine smile emerged. "Loud and clear."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Naruto's glare softened. "Well, good."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"…Thanks," Sasuke said, voice almost too soft to hear. "Now go away, you're both too noisy." With that, he turned and began walking up the winding path home._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Grinning, Sakura swung an arm around Naruto's shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"See you tomorrow, Sasuke!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Bring us some rice balls!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sasuke twitched and muttered under his breath, "Of course they'd ask for Itachi's favourite. I swear they do it on purpose."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please expect slower updates from now on.


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